I Have ADHD. Here Are 14 Genuinely Life-Altering Hacks That I Use On A Daily Basis
Hi! I'm Alice. I hate milk, love contemporary romance novels, and watch a lot of Real Housewives. Also, I have ADHD.
I always knew my brain was different, but I had no idea what the problem was until I may or may not have tried a certain stimulant pill recreationally and waited for something wild to happen. Instead, my brain calmed down and I focused on that week's English homework. It was a revelation.
At 17, I insisted on being evaluated for ADHD — despite some people telling me that I was just lazy and needed to apply myself.
So many people with ADHD — especially women — hear these accusations on repeat. I don't know why society refuses to believe us when we beg for help and understanding, but it happens a lot and it sucks.
My doctor determined that I am, in fact, "the poster child for ADHD." Still, it took me over a decade to find the right systems and hacks to navigate daily life.
Here are some hacks that make my life 1,000x easier. If you have ADHD and struggle with basic tasks, I hope you find these tips helpful!
1.Procrastination hack: Follow the mantra "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good."
I'm a perfectionist and I don't want to start or finish any task that I may not excel at, so I procrastinate until the very last second. One day I finally got tired of my own bullshit and knew I needed to make a change. Enter: "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good."
Whenever I take on a task now, I start with literally the smallest possible sub-task and work up from there. I always do my first task "imperfectly." It helps my brain get more comfortable with the idea that the world won't implode/explode if not everything goes exactly according to plan.
Doing is always closer to a perfect result than not doing. I've missed out on a lot of opportunities and experiences because of procrastination, but recently I've also gotten a lot of what I want because of an imperfect final product.
2.To-do list hack: Limit lists to three–five items.
If your flavor of ADHD is of the list-making variety, you'll understand my intense need to hyperfocus on writing extensive to-do lists. The problem is that I always run out of steam by the time I finish my list, so nothing gets done.
The solution is pretty straightforward. I make a list with three–five items on it: one–two important tasks that actually take precedent, and two–three smaller tasks that I can breeze through. I start with the smaller items, and by the time I reach the big-ticket tasks, I have just enough momentum to power through the whole list.
3.Trick my brain/body into action hack (part 1): Listen to my "Manufactured Serotonin" playlist.
Sometimes there's an activity I desperately want (or need) to do, but my brain and body just...won't let me. So I turn to my "Manufactured Serotonin" playlist, which essentially tricks my brain into pumping all the right chemicals to get me moving.
My playlist is specifically what my brain responds to, so I change out the songs every once in a while based on whatever gives me chills/makes me laugh, and sparks my brain into lighting up.
Side note: I bought this waterproof speaker so I can play music in the shower because most ADHD brains haaaaaaate showers. 10/10 recommend.
4.Trick my brain/body into action hack (part 2): Have an orgasm.
Look, we don't need to go into details here. I'll just say that this method is very effective at resetting your brain and giving you a sudden energy boost, and if you can't find someone to help you out then everyone's favorite massage wand is, ahem, a magical alternative.
5.Make myself put the phone down, get up, and DO SOMETHING hack: Literally throw my phone across the room.
This is pretty self-explanatory, but one day I was so annoyed with myself for wasting hours on my phone that I threw it across the room. It forced me to get out of bed and start moving, so I kept doing it.
(I have a good phone case/cover and only throw it on carpets/rugs/cushions to prevent it from cracking. Be smart if you try this hack because I take absolutely no responsibility for your cracked phone.)
Bonus phone-related hack: I bought this phone case with a card holder on the back and a handle so I can keep it on my wrist without losing it 10x/day.
6.Wake up with minimal struggle hack: Set an alarm for one hour before I need to get up so I can take my stimulant medication.
This hack got me through the second half of college after I returned from my ADHD-induced medical leave. It also gets me up for work, brunch, and feeding my cat at a reasonable hour.
Say I need to be awake and functional(ish) at 8 a.m. I set two alarms on a VERY LOUD digital alarm clock with a battery backup, which I keep across the room from my bed.
The first alarm goes off at 7 a.m. I get up, take my prescribed stimulants, drink a glass of water, open all my blinds to let the sun in, and go back to bed.
The second alarm goes off at 8 a.m. Half the time, I'm already awake before it goes off because the meds have already begun to kick in. I leave the bed to turn the alarm off, and I'm awake enough to function — if not thrive — without falling back asleep.
If you don't have stimulants prescribed to you, these are some legal alternatives that also work for me: Caffeine pills do the job in a pinch (but you must consult with your doctor before taking any new over-the-counter medicine). Leaving a cold brew in your fridge the night before and chugging half of it also works. Ditto coffee (timed coffee machines are incredible), tea, etc.
7.Bonus clock-related hack: This timer thing is amazing.
This clock has built-in timers preset to five, 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes. All you have to do is turn it to start the countdown, then walk away and forget about it until it scares the ever-loving shit out of you with its shrill, impossible-to-miss alarm. It's great for losing yourself in something for a limited amount of time until the sound requires you to get off your ass because it is so unbelievably annoying. I love it so much.
8.Drink enough water for my body to function properly hack: Eat something spicy.
I forget to eat and drink when I get sucked into an activity, so when I come up for air I'm dehydrated and have a raging headache. So I eat something punishingly spicy and add some extra hot sauce for good measure, and all of a sudden I've downed three to four glasses of water in 15 minutes.
9.Remember to take all my meds throughout the day hack: Use a water bottle with a built-in pill case.
I use a massive pill case for all my meds each week, but whenever I leave the house this water bottle helps me remember to take my meds and drink liquids.
10.Override my mindset of "I would rather take a fork to my eyeball than complete this tedious, mind-numbing task" hack: Find a podcast I love, download every episode I can, and play it while I go around doing chores I absolutely hate.
Some people prefer playing music, audiobooks, or a TV show/movie in the background, but I loooove binging a good podcast. Load your phone/tablet up with as many episodes as possible and cling to that sucker like it's your last hope for maintaining sanity in a sea of mundane bullshit (which it is).
If you're looking for some podcast recommendations, I'm absolutely obsessed with Maintenance Phase, XOXO, Gossip Kings, and The Juice with Solomon Georgio.
11.Reading like I did as a kid before I lost the ability to finish a single book hack: Find the adult version of books I loved when I was younger.
This hack was inspired by my favorite BookTuber, uncarley. She also has ADHD and made a video about how she still manages to read so much. TL;DR (lol): Figure out what you love and only read that — don't force yourself to read anything you don't like.
I remembered loooooving Meg Cabot as a kid, so I went to my local independent bookstore and asked them what books are like "Meg Cabot for grown-ups." That led me to Emily Henry's novels, which introduced me to the world of contemporary romance novels. For the past three months, I've finished a book every one to three days because I don't make myself finish a book when it's clear after 50 pages that it's not my jam.
I also figured out how I like to read. I can only read from physical books, so tablets are out for me. Audiobooks are good for long train rides and walks. Finding the medium you click with is key.
12.Prevent my house from becoming a total pigsty hack: I buy household items specifically designed to help my brain's ~*~problem areas.~*~
Money can't buy you happiness or class, but it sure can make your life a lot easier if you have it. These two purchases in particular were life-changing for me:
— I never vacuumed because it was such a hassle to plug in and cary around. So I bought a cordless vacuum, and now I vacuum several times a week.
— I didn't do my laundry frequently enough because it quickly overwhelmed me and there was too much to carry all at once. So I bought a four-bag laundry cart with wheels, and now I do laundry before I run out of clean clothes.
Unfuck Your Habitat is also a terrific resource, especially when I have people coming over in 30 minutes and need to cram in three hours' worth of cleaning.
13.Understanding my brain better hack: Research ADHD and figure out what changes I want/need in my life.
There are so many great resources out there for people with ADHD (and also a lot of garbage). The How to ADHD YouTube channel and Black Girl, Lost Keys blog continue to be invaluable to me on my lifelong journey with this silly little brain of mine.
14.Dream big hack: Set lofty goals.
I occasionally check in with myself and ask "what am I working towards?" This isn't just a job-related hack (although it absolutely helps me professionally); I ask this question in all areas of my life. When I'm passionate about something, I'm roughly ten trillion times more likely to actually put in the time and effort to get my desired result. So I dream as big as I can, then I get to work.
